Former South Africa captain and cricketing legend AB de Villiers has clarified his recent comments after facing backlash for rating Virat Kohli ahead of Sachin Tendulkar in certain conditions.
De Villiers had said that, in his opinion, Kohli was the better batter than Tendulkar when it came to playing in seam-friendly overseas conditions.
He also described Tendulkar as a pioneer for batters from the subcontinent but felt that Kohli had eventually surpassed him in that particular aspect.
ALSO READ | AB de Villiers Sparks Sachin Tendulkar-Virat Kohli Debate With Bold Claim
"I think of someone like Sachin Tendulkar way back, who started that trend for India. Yet, he wasn't as strong as someone like Virat Kohli, who was even better. But Sachin was the first guy to show that, as a subcontinent batter, you can do well in bouncy and seaming conditions. Virat took that forward and raised the bar," De Villiers had said earlier.
He then added that players like KL Rahul and the in-form batter Devdutt Padikkal have started to up that trend and follow in the footsteps of a Virat and a Sachin.
The comments sparked criticism on social media, with several fans and former international cricketers drawing comparisons between the two Indian batting greats. De Villiers has now issued a clarification amid the widespread reaction to his assessment.
De Villiers clarified that his comparison between Kohli and Tendulkar was purely his personal opinion and was not intended to diminish either player.
He also emphasised Tendulkar's pioneering role in Indian cricket, crediting him with setting an example for younger generations by demonstrating how to perform consistently in different conditions around the world.
"I said that Virat sort of showed that there is a different dynamic to Indian batting by being good on the short ball. He found a way to counter that," de Villiers added in another video on his YouTube channel.
AB de Villiers addressed the comparison between Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar between the 11:45 and 13:11 marks in the video embedded below.
He admitted that Kohli's numbers away from home are not as impressive as those of Sachin, but added that statistics are not everything, and Kohli has inspired a lot of youngsters around him.
"He took what he learnt from Sachin and took it forward. His record is not as good as Sachin's away from home, but we don't always look at stats, especially not me," the Proteas legend said.
"And that's what I meant with showing the new generation of cricketers how the way forward should look. Staying fit, leading by example, having the all-round game."
The 42-year-old South African great played against both Kohli and Tendulkar during his career. He also shared the dressing room with Kohli at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for 11 seasons, making his IPL debut for the franchise in 2011 before retiring after the 2021 season.
Watch Video Here:
ALSO READ | 'Planted Story': Aakash Chopra's Blunt Take On MS Dhoni's Reported CSK Stake Demand
At the international level, de Villiers' career spanned from 2004 to 2018. He made his international debut against England in a Test match in 2004, while his final international appearance came against Australia in a Test match in 2018.
In 114 Tests, de Villiers amassed 8,765 runs at an average of 50.66. He also scored 9,577 runs in ODIs at an impressive average of 53.5 and a staggering strike-rate of 101.09.
In the shortest format, de Villiers scored 1,672 runs in 78 T20 internationals at a strike rate of 135.16.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.